Chapter One Of Fred and Hermione, the Unexpected
by Bqreanna
Summary: When not allotted a secret, Hermione becomes angry dying to know what her closest friends are hiding. When the secret is out in the open and creates a romantic relationship, will it take a turn for the best, or the worst?
1. Chapter 1

The third year of Wizarding School had finally arrived and Hermione had already learned most of the material for third years over the summer. She sat the Burrow with Ginny in their room and was anticipated for Harry's arrival. Ginny was still asleep, even in the morning light, she slept peacefully. She sat quietly, and stroked Crookshanks who was purring in delight. She heard the clanging of pots and pans in the kitchen and recognized Mr. Weasley's morning noises of fixing everyone's morning meal. In the background Celestina Warbeck played very modestly, so that it wouldn't wake any of the late sleepers. Hermione decided to go downstairs and help out Ms. Weasley. Hermione set down her cat and walked across the room and out the door into the hallway.

As soon as she stepped into the hallway two very familiar voices sounded.

"That was so cool how it blew up!" one said.

"Although it didn't smell too well, and mum's sure not going to appreciate the hole it left on the carpet." Said the other. They stopped talking and put on mischievous smiles when they spotted Hermione.

"Hi, Hermione."

"Morning Fred, George." Hermione quickly noticed a change between the two boys and was extremely amused, though she didn't show it. Fred kept looking away, and George smiled as if to taunt Fred. Fred's faced seemed redder than usual and he smiled sheepishly at her while George had a big mockng grin on his face.

"Well then, I'll see you later." Hermione said and spieled off down the stairs. When she entered the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley was stirring some contents in a cauldron.

"Good morning, Mrs. Weasley, may I help you with anything?" Mrs. Weasley turned around and looked at her with a smile in her eyes. Her brown eyes glimmered and her red hair was nice and neat, despite the early time.

"Yes, dear, cut up some gather some tomatoes from the garden, will you?" Hermione nodded and went outdoors of the Burrow. She walked across the yard until she came upon the tomato patch.

"We meet again Ms. Granger." George said from on top of the shed, obviously something Mrs. Weasley wouldn't approve of.

"Stalk much?" He asked. Yet Fred's face was hidden in the shadows, and he didn't sneak any snide remark which was unusual for him. Hermione shot a annoyed look and plucked five tomatoes for the breakfast.

When Hermione returned with the tomatoes, Ginny was awake and helping her mom.

"Thank you." Hermione's help was no longer needed, so she went and sat at the table, which was occupied by Mr. Weasley reading the morning paper, and Ron waiting impatiently with an empty bowel. She sat quietly and felt Crookshanks at her feet. She put her head in her hands and tried to sort things out. It was quite eccentric for one of the twins to be acting this way. And then it hit her, hard. Was she the only one whom, noticed all the differences in Fred and George? She had always like Fred a bit more, because he made few sarcastic remarks to her, yet he never quite acted this weird around her.

"Seriously Hermione, you ignoring me and there not even a book in your face." Ron said in a weary sleeping voce.

"Oh, I'm sorry I must've not heard you."

"I said I think Harry is coming today." Ron said, just as Mrs. Weasley came out with breakfast.

"Oh great!" Hermione said and clapped her hands together. Her stomach turned when she thought about him being mistreated by his Muggle family.

The twins, and Percy came in for breakfast. Fred acted normal for the first time that morning, but wouldn't look at Hermione. And suddenly, in came Harry. Everyone got up from the table and hugged him tightly as he settled in to eat.

Ron, Harry, Hermione, sat quietly in Ron's room listening to Harry pour out his tragic summer, and about how he blew up his aunt. Hermione, loved Harry's enthralling stories, but she couldn't get Fred's sudden change in behavior.

"Has Fred fallen ill?" Hermione blurted out in the middle of Harry explaining that he didn't get into any sort of trouble for what had happened to his aunt. Both of the boys turned in unison to look at her.

"Not that I know of." Ron said. "Why?"

"He's just been rather off this morning is all." Hermione said. Ginny welcomed herself in the room without knocking.

"Glad you made it here alright, Harry." She said and sat down on Ron's bed.

"Me too." He said. Ginny looked around the room and then stopped and looked right at Hermione before her face turning red, and started smiling broadly.

"What?" Hermione said.

"Oh, I just have a little case of "I know something you don't know."

"And what would that be?" Hermione said anxious to know.

"I can't tell." Ginny said.

"Why not?" Harry said.

"Well I can tell you Harry, but not her." Ginny said laughing in an evil little way.

"What is it?" Ron piped in.

"I can't tell you in front of Hermione." Ginny said seriously.

"Then let's go!" Ron, Harry, and Ginny all got up and started heading down the door.

"Whoever leaves this room without telling me this "secret" will no longer be my friend." Hermione said stomping her foot on the ground. The all turned, and left, closing the door behind them. Hermione felt her face get warm, and she was utterly angry. She kicked Ron's bed and threw his pillow on the floor, and stomped on it. Then she realized she was being rather foolish, and immature, so she quit stepping on it, but left it on the floor. She opened the door, and no one was in the hallway so she stepped out and slammed the door. She couldn't wait until tomorrow when she would be on her way, and refuse to talk to Harry, Ron, or Ginny, for the rest of her life.

She went into the room she shared with Ginny, and laid her head on the pillow. That night she ignored everyone except the adults. They all laughed shyly when she looked at him, and Fred was acting weird again. He smiled at her once, but she ignored it.

Yet that night, Hermione couldn't stop thinking about Fred. Normally when she thought about Fred, she'd always think of George as well, but now she was beginning to see Fred as his own person, which was so different from George. She fell asleep.

The next morning everyone was rushing to get ready to go to King's Cross. Hermione had all the stuff gathered. They drove to the station, and headed straight for platform 9 and 3/4 's. Hermione was the third one to make it through the barrier where she bid Mr. and Mrs. Weasley goodbye and got on the train.

Ron and Harry were sharing a compartment, and Hermione walked on by them, an found Neville n a compartment all by himself.

"Well hello, Neville" She said and sat down opposite from him.

"Hi." He said. Hermione did her normal tradition and cracked open a Potions text book. She began reading before the train even started moving. She was grateful that Neville hadn't question why she was sitting with him and not Ron and Hermione.

A lot of time passed, and still she hadn't heard a word from any of her so-called-friends. She desperately wanted to concoct a Truth Telling potion and shove it down their throats. She began to think evil, evil things. She thought about setting Ginny's hair on fire and holding a wand to her face until she told her what this secret was. She began thinking of ways to hurt Ron and Harry, when the compartment door opened. The person she last expected stepped in.

Hermione looked at him and she was completely dazzled. She looked at him, and he was white, almost mistakable for an apparition. Fred looked at her and smiled, and looked at her. Hermione returned the awkward staring session.

"Hermione I have something important to tell you." He said closing his eyes, and then opening them to reveal his golden brown pools of elegance.

"Yes?" She said, closing her book and setting it beside her on the seat.

"The secret- the one everyone's been hiding from you."

"Is it finally going to be revealed?" Hermione said, bracing herself for the worst.

"The secret—is that." He stood silently, and Hermione let him take his time, and not rush him because he was obviously having a difficult time letting it out.

"It's that I like, like, you and think you're absolutely beautiful" The words tumbled quickly, and with a lot a feeling behind them.


	2. Chapter 2

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The train lurched to a haul, sending both Hermione and Fred off balance. Fred grabbed compartment door for support, and Hermione leaned against the wall.

"Eh", Fred seemed as if he wanted to say something important, but instead took off. Hermione thought for a moment, and then felt rude for not saying much back to him. The truth was, she didn't know how she felt about him. Fred? He was the one whom liked her out of all the boys she constantly communicated with her? Truth be told, Hermione had always found him ridiculously attractive, though she was not prepared for this kind of news. She gathered her belongings and got off the train.

When she stepped out into the foggy night, she saw a carriage that contained Ron, Harry, Ginny, and Neville, she quickly stepped in. She was too exhausted to remember that she was mad at three of them for not telling her the secret.

"So did he really tell you, or did he chicken out?" Ginny asked. It took Hermione a minute to adjust and get comfortable.

"Yes, he told me." She said and looked at the carriage floor.

"And how do you feel about this?" Ginny asked.

"I-I don't know quite yet, I need a little time."

They talked about normal school stuff the rest of the ride up. Hermione sat silently, thinking long and hard about how much she liked Fred, but she didn't know if telling him she did would be the right thing. She had so much school work and studying all the time and Fred always messed around with George, and hardly took anything seriously. He was also, older than her by two years.

Hermione tried to avoid eye contact with Fred at supper in the Great Hall that night. She wanted to sleep on all these new ideas, before telling anyone anything. Yet, all she could fantasize about was Fred placing his lips on hers, or holding her in his muscular tightening arms. She sighed and couldn't wait for bed. She got up from the table, and walked off alone.

Halfway to the Gryffindor Common Room, she heard paddling footsteps behind her and when she turned, she saw a ball of red hair.

"Hey Hermione!" Ron said as he caught up with her.

"Yes?" Hermione said turning back around and waiting for him to catch up.

"You seemed really quiet and subtle at dinner, is everything alright?" Ron said acting genuinely concerned.

"I'm fine. Well I don't know it's the whole Fred liking me thing, it gives me a lot to think about." Hermione kept walking looking forward, but his absence of talking concerned her and she looked at him. He was looking at her like he was struck in awe.

"What's the matter?" She said.

"Liking you? What are you talking about?" Hermione stopped dead in her tracks and turned to Ron.

"Fred told me he liked me!" She said overly loud, her voice echoing and a moving portrait help a finger to their lips to single quietness.

"That's what he told you?"

"What was he really supposed to tell me?" Ron looked away, and then at her again. He looked sad and like he felt great empathy for Hermione.

"He was supposed to tell you, that you won an award for being most annoying girl in Gryffindor, according to some of the older kids. There was a long pause and bitter silence in the corridor. Hermione turned around, and started snuffling and Ron could instantly tell she had begun to cry.

"Don't be sad they're just a bunch of jerks, No one else thinks that."

"I hate all of you!" Hermione ran into the Common Room, and straight to her bed leaving Ron in the darkness of the hallway.


	3. Chapter 3

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The heat of Quidditch stirred throughout the hallways and rang through every student's ears. There was soon to be a Gryffindor and Hufflepuff game, and the Gryffindor team, despite the burning heat waves radiating from the sun, was practicing on the field. They soared through the sky getting faster and faster each time, remembering that they had to be quicker than quick most times to defeat the opposing team. They had all done substantial amounts of practicing during the summer and they were bringing together all they had learned and using their accustomed strategies to full potential.

Hermione and Ron sat on the outside of the field watching their fellow House member play. Ron often gave a yell of encouragement, and ever more often an insult to the players. Hermione sat with her legs crossed and a book laid over them, and she was reading intently. Ron several times had taken his eyes off the practice, and obsessing over Harry's overly exceptional playing, to ask Hermione how she was doing. Hermione, with a quill in the hand, who mumble an illegible answer, and when Ron continued to gaze at her concerned, she'd finally unglue her eyes from the literature and wave him off with the hand that contained the quill.

Ron, Harry, and others had all noticed a sudden change in Hermione. She wasn't her usual self. She's always had a tendency to over load her schedule with homework, and books to read. Yet, she also had a knack for putting her opinion, or stating a logical fact, in every conversation that took place around her. But now, she sat silently and didn't even nod to show that she was listening, it was a huge change of silence and neglect to her friends. Ron was the only one who could approximately pin-point what Hermione's deal was. The lie that he told her about Fred, ever since then her new way of personality had changed for the worse dramatically. Ron kept telling himself that it might not be that he had told her the fib about Fred and George calling her "annoying" , he told himself that anything else in the world could of came up and changed her world since that night and the next morning when she had metaphorically sewn her mouth shut and turned off all emotions.

When practice was over Harry came over to Ron and Hermione.

"Did you make any bizarre calculations to how we can improve our flying, and cause less collisions? And injuries?" Harry asked addressing Hermione with a wide grin on his face. His smile quickly faded when he realized that she paid no attention to him. He looked at Ron.

"It's been a week when are you going to tell us what's bothering you?" Harry asked looking steadily at Hermione who was pretending to buckle her shoe strap that was visibly strapped perfectly fine.

"Hermione! I need to speak with you!" All three of them turned in alert to see Fred walking up to them. He walked across the field and stood in front of the semi-circle they formed.

"Alone?" He asked shooting a glance at both Ron and Harry. Hermione then perked up and took on a new expression. Her face went to a dark shade of rose and her lip quivered almost like a rabid dog. Her two scrunched brown eyes looked vilely into Fred's.

"No, I wouldn't want to annoy you." She said in almost a hiss, and then she turned slowly, and began pacing down the field in stomping rhythm.

"What the hell was that about?" Fred asked his broom over his shoulder and a very confused look on his somewhat friendly face. And that was when Harry caught Ron's facial expression, before Fred did. And in the instant when Ron returned Harry's glance, Ron knew Harry knew that he had done something very wrong.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

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When the two boys were alone, Harry eyed Ron with one eyebrow slightly cocked. Ron knew that he was caught, and stared at the ground mentally praying that some way, or somehow Harry would decide nothing was amiss and turn the other cheek. He was hopelessly wrong.

"What did you do?" Harry asked halfway between a scold and a curious question. Ron continued to stare at the grass.

"Shouldn't you go change out of your robes?" He asked Harry trying to shoe him away.

"Yeah, and you're coming with me. I know by the guilt in your voice and the sad look in your eyes that you had something to something to do with Fred and Hermione. I mean, either you tell me the full truth, or I'll go mention something to Fred. Which one sounds more appealing to you Ronald?"

Ron hated the thought of Harry treating him like a child and giving him ultimatums. His face flushed with anger for a brief moment, and then he sighed getting ready to spill the length of the lie he had told.

"Really it was that easy to tell her that they called her "annoying" and she believed you?" Harry asked astonished as he changed out of his robes and into a sweater and jeans.

"I was surprised to, I expected her to either confide in Fred and ask him, or march up to him and call him a bunch of names. Instead she looked, well defeated, and hurt.

"I can't think of why, honestly the way Fred talked about it I thought she'd blew him off." Harry said gathering his belongings from the floor.

"Same here"

"Unless, if she really has feelings for him and was heart-broken at what you did." Then Harry glanced at Ron who had made a face of agony when he mentioned heart-broken. Harry and Ron started walking back to the school, when Harry noticed how Ron kept looking at the ground solemnly and couldn't decide whether he was feeling sad for lying, or if it was something else on his mind.

"I'm going to go talk to Hermione now, I'll be right back." Ron turned in the opposite direction, and Harry continued to walk to the Great Hall.

When Ron was away from Harry, he took the time of lonesome to lay by a tree in the sun, and really mull over the days events.

"Weasley!" Someone called, in a piercing mean way. He looked to see Katie Bell coming his way.

"Yes?" He said.

"I heard your conversation with Potter after practice." Ron stood up and walked over to her to meet her in the middle from the direction she was walking from.

"And what all did you hear?" He said through gritted teeth ready to defend himself.

"Relax, I came here on yours and mine benefit."

"And that would be?"

"Well from what I understood of the conversation, Fred has the hots for Granger," she cringed, "And well I like Fred, so I was hoping you could keep Fred on Granger's bad side, until I can convince him to go with me." She smiled thinking it would convince him.

"I'm thinking I should just speak the truth, everyone suffers a little less if we do so." Katie's face turned grim and she got closer to his face.

"I know you love Granger, Weasley." She said in a sharp whisper.

The weather seemed to drop a shade of warmth and become cold. The sun felt colder on Ron's shoulders. He supposed it was because of the scheming tone in Katie's voice and her fiendish expression, that gave him the chills down his spine.

"Okay, I'll do it." Yet he did not agree to loving Hermione, he just wanted to get away from Katie no matter the circumstances.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

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Meanwhile….

Hermione stalked around the library for a book that she had not yet read, because she had nothing better to do. She didn't really need any books, she was just looking for alone time, and quiet. She knew that the common room would be full of excited wizard athletes discussing techniques, and what each one of the players needed to work on. She hummed silently to herself, trying to clog her thoughts, to only focus on titles of books, and not what was making her have the sudden urge to knock all the shelves over and have a temper tantrum. It worked quite well, until she heard someone whisper her name from behind her. She stood still, crouched down scanning the books on the bottom shelves. She froze, hoping that if they thought she couldn't hear her, they'd leave.

"Talk to me," They said this time, not whispering. Hermione stood up and faced them, and was going to tell them to leave her alone before they got her kicked out of the library, yet she froze with anger when she saw Fred standing, towering over her by quite a few inches. She wanted to turn and go back to ignoring him, but she knew that the plan wouldn't work out at all.

"What do you want?" She snapped in a fierce whisper. She looked over to make sure Madame Pince wasn't giving her the death glare.

"Can we talk?" He asked not looking at her, acting like a child about to ask his parents for permission to something they knew they'd disagree to. Hermione thought about it for a moment. She knew that she should talk to him, tell him how she felt, but she didn't feel ready. Yet, she decided to get it over with.

"In the hall." She said and then turned and started walking not checking to see if he was following. She walked down the hall a bit, and then turned her back to lean against the wall, and he stood right in front of her. All she could think about were the feelings she had the last time they stood face to face and talked. How she went from considering liking him to wanting to watch him get crushed by the Whomping Willow.

"What do you want to talk about?" Hermione asked, pretending to sound bored, though she was slightly curious to what he had to say.

"Honestly? I tell you I like you, and you don't say much, and then avoid me. Did I do something to anger you?"

"Do something to anger me? Hmmm, try lying to me." She said and then for the first time looked at his face, and into his brown eyes, that looked black in the dark corridor. When she looked into his eyes, she didn't see the usual lighting in them she didn't see the alive, and wired characteristics. It took her a moment before she recognized, that the mood that his eyes reflected was confusion, which was a look she was sure her eyes held as well.

"I honestly don't know what you're talking about." He said lifting an eyebrow. Hermione was suddenly afraid to tell him what she was angry about. Because of the anger she took on immediately after she was told what Ron had told her, she didn't once stop to think of the possibility that, he could have been mistaken, or lying to her. _No, _she thought, _Ron wouldn't lie to me like that. Yet, even as she thought that, she began to realize that she was probably lying to herself. She suddenly felt uneducated. _

"_I was told that the suppose secret you told me was a cover-up for what you were really supposed to say. But thanks for sparing my feelings, though I found out anyway."_

"_What secret, me liking you? That was the only secret, what are you talking about?" He suddenly turned to his side and leaned against the wall on his shoulder, right next to Hermione's shoulder._

"_I was told you decided to make a list of the most annoying people, and that I topped that list, and that was the big stupid secret everyone was obsessing over." Hermione said, suddenly realizing how on Earth she allowed Ron into tricking her like that. The lie started to sound so childish, and false, and just about the worst made-up lie in the whole universe, yet she, Hermione Granger, had been dumb enough to fall for it, because she let her feelings get ahead of her._

"_What? Who told you that?"_

"_Ronald." She said, and her face reddened._

"_Of course. Well that's not true, and the real truth I told you, is still true." He said and looked at her, though she could feel his eyes on her she refused to look over at him._

"_I see." She said. She felt him move in frustration._

"_I see? Is that really all you have to say, have you thought about it all?" He asked. _

"_Well, yeah, and then, I-" Fred grabbed her shoulder and turned her to face him. Her body was toward him, yet her eyes, weren't in the same place. She felt her eyes sting with swelling of tears, because of how embarrassed she was. _

"_You what?" He asked his voice soft, yet serious, for the first time losing it's edge of irritation. She let go of a deep sigh and decided to spill her guts._

"_I thought about it, and was fairly happy. And then I was absolutely devastated when Ronald told me his little lie. I was so charmed that you told me you liked me. So excited and happy, that it seemed too good to be true. And that's why I believed Ronald so quickly, because I thought maybe it really was too good to be true. And now you're telling me it's not." _

_Fred laughed at this, making Hermione's eye flick up to his face for the first time, their eyes met. He stopped laughing, and flashed her a smile. She could tell that the look she shot him make him feel bad for laughing._

"_I'm sorry, I'm just happy that now I know how you truly feel, and now I have a reason to kill Ron, and possibly get away with it." Hermione then, too laughed. Fred slowly reached up, and gently stroked hair off of her face. She blushed and looked into his eyes._

"_So what do we do now?" He asked her._

"_I guess start fresh." She said, now her feeling of liking him back surfacing the way they has after he told her the first time, on the train to Hogwarts. Booming voices then errupted in the hall, and she realized that students must be getting ready to go to dinner._

"_Yes! Dinner time, I'm starving." Fred said and Hermione saw George and Lee Jordan coming down the hall toward them._

"_Shall we?" He asked._

"_Sure" Hermione said, and he and Fred walked side beside, following closely behind Lee Jordan and George._


	6. Chapter 6

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Ron waited in the shadows of the hallway, ashamed to talk to anyone, or do anything but wait. Wait for Harry to come stalking down the hallway and escort him to the Great Hall for dining. He was too afraid to go and face everyone alone. Finally he saw his best friend making his way down the corridor.

"Hello, mate, let's hurry and find a seat, I'm famished." Harry said as he approached Ron. Harry didn't seem to take heed to Ron's rather depressing mood radiating from him.

When the got to the table the first thing Ron noticed was the only empty space as the Gryffidor House table. The second thing he noticed made his stomach drop, and his face turn a shade redder than normal. He saw his brother Fred, and George sitting together, and that was normal, but sitting next to Fred, looking dreamy was Hermione, and that was not normal for the time being. He cringed as Hermione called out to Harry, and Harry began walking to them. He felt his throat sting with embarrassment.

The feeling of being shamed was intoxicating. The collar of his cloak itched his neck with the film of perspiration running from his forehead. He managed to fill his plate with a plentiful amount of food, with out looking up or making eye contact with anyone. He and Harry sat directly across from Fred and Hermione. And the Lee Jordan and George we on Fred's other side.

Of course, they spoke of practice, that was expected. Ron began to relax as bit and only concentrated on eating when whispers started to sound. At often times Ron felt like he wasn't the brightest student on the Gryffindor team, so he was surprised that they would be dumb enough for them to whisper loud enough for them him to hear.

"Has he told you what he did?" He heard of course Hermione say.

"I advised him to apologize." Harry said.

"Apologize?" This time, Fred said, not a whisper. "That doesn't sound like Ron, not with out mum breathing down his neck." Laughter broke out between Lee Jordan, and George.

The sheen of sweat began more eagerly than earlier. He knew, he knew that this dinner wouldn't go by with him getting away with not apologizing or telling the truth. Then, he remember something; Harry hadn't really asked him to apologize. He felt a twinge of anger, and then then the created sweat wasn't from shame, or embarrassment, but pure anger. He was on his feet , and through the door of the Great Hall in a flash.

As he made his way to the Common Room he heard the word "Manipulation" boom from down that hallway, and saw Katie Bell which just made him walk even faster to the common room.

He sat in his four-poster bed, starting at nothing, trying to fall asleep. Every time the scenes of dinner to night, he felt an electrifying jolt. and he tightly squeezed his eyes as if to wipe away the memories. Eventually he drifted off, yet he was awakened shortly after by the rustling of someone changing clothes. He sat up and made out Harry in the shadows of the dark room.

"Feeling better Ron?" Harry asked.

"Not sure." He saw Harry snicker in the darkened room.

"If you wouldn't of left so soon, everything would be fine now." Harry said, crawling into bed.

"How so?"

"Well, Fred and Hermione figured things out on their own, with out you telling them what you did. And they were going to forgive you, but you ran off." Harry laughed at this. Ron, who was sitting up, flew himself back down on the mattress and let out a huge sigh, exercising his diaphragm.

"So what now?"

"Just do talk to them tomorrow."

Ron decided that facing them tomorrow would be the first thing on his to-do-list. He wanted everything to be over with, and then he'd have a clear conscience.


	7. Chapter 7

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Jealousy cringed withing the lines of her pulsing mine. It was hard to concentrate on anything but the burning sensation of pure vile envy. She tried to tell herself that these feelings of anguish would pass. Yet there was always the stinging lingering question deep down in the depths of her mind "Why her? "Why her and not me?" Those questions and several similar questions of that kind ran through her mind. Yet, it wasn't Fred Weasley that ran through her mind when she was hopelessly trying to answer these questions. It was Hermione Granger that passed through her mind. When Katie saw them together, acting like friends, she felt like a small part of her life was over. She began to understand, after a substantial amount of thinking, that is wasn't Fred she wanted, it was the fact that she knew she could have Fred, until Granger came into the picture. She couldn't figure why he would choose Granger over her. She was tougher, on the Qudditch team, older, and more beautiful, at least she believed that she was. Everything that she had, she believed were good reasons to choose her over anyone else. When the questions became to painful, and reasoning became boring and frustrating, she began to conjure a cure for healing herself. She couldn't allow herself to shed tears, and then have a possibility of feeling better afterward. She couldn't allow herself to take a breath, forget about it and move on. She couldn't even look at herself in the mirror and realize that she was still a beautiful individual. The only thing she could comprehend is the passion to hate. All the loathing inside of her stirred up a plan, that was beautifully gory, evil, and she believed with all her heart that it would be successful.

It was a beautiful day to be outdoors. Ron, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan, all sat outside enjoying the first warm day that they'd had in a while. Ron and Harry were working on a few last minute assignments, sitting in the shade of a nice heavty tree. Ron looked up from his parchment and quill, and saw something very exciting. He saw Fred and Hermione, with their hands intertwined. At first, is was a jolting shock, and then he felt a wave of happiness. The corners of his mouth tugged into a full grin, and he tapped on Harry.

"Look." He said when Harry gave him his attention. Harry looked and saw what Ron was pointing toward and smiled as well. They then continued on their home work.

About thirty minutes of working on one of Professor Snape's long, hard, complicated, assignments, they finally finished up. When they were closing their books, they heard a commotion.

"You raging idiot!" Ron's book, and ink flipped out of his lap at Katie Bell kicked them.

"What the hell?" Harry asked, looking at Ron and then at Katie.

"I told you to help me fix this, but you just made it worse!" Katie said pulling out her wand and holding it directly in Ron's face.

"Expelliarm-

"Stupify!" Katie cut off Harry's spell. Harry fell on the ground.

"Katie, calm down." Ron said, slowly standing up, sliding his back against the tree as he did so.

"Well if I can't get what I want. I'll just make people disappear til I do."

"Katie you can't-

"Shut up!" She screamed, and yelled "Stupify", causing Ron to collide with the hard grass. By this time, Katie was being absurdly loud enough that people had started to turn and look. Hermione being one of them, yelled Harry's name, seeing him on the ground.

"Katie what's going on?"

"Stupify." Katie yelled hitting Hermione directly in the chest, which was her intended target. The spell, doing just as she had planned, knocked her in to the lake, which was home to the terrifying giant squid. Katie laughed, as she watched Hermione, sink below the surface of the water.

"No!" Fred, yelled and pulled out his wand, and pointed it at the water, and then back at Katie.

"Harry! What do I do?" He asked panicked, and relieved that Harry had finally stood up.

"I- I don't really know." Harry said, his face turning pale with fear. Ron, too was back on his feet.

"There's nothing you can do, but walk away." Katie said, cocking her head and smiling.

Fred, the threw off his robes, and was standing in a sweater and jeans. He threw his shoes and socks off.

"No! You can't go in! Do you know how many creatures are down there?! You'll die along with her!"

A bunch of splashing began to occur, and they saw Hermione's arms thrashing, and her trying to get her head about the surface, but something was pulling her down. After she went back down, before anyone could say anything, Fred had lunged himself into the water.

"Katie, you must be mental. If you honestly thought that he would be with you after doing this, you are dead, dead, dead wrong!" Ron yelled, his wand on her chest.

"Katie, I'm shocked, how could you do this?"

"Fred!" George began screaming in a hurried panic, close enough to touch the water, but just hovering with his hands over the surface.

"George no, don't go in, we can't lose everyone!" Ron said leaving Katie and pulling George away from the water. Lee Jordan, stood frozen, not saying a word, but looking into the water.

"He's got to love me, if I save him!" Katie yelled, and then flung herself as well into the water.

"Oh, what do we do!"

Harry remember back to his classes, and all the things that he had learned. He started to think of defensive spells, and then spells that could help in life or death situations. He pointed his wand and muttered under his breath "Accio Hermione." The water began to wave, and thrash with huge title waves, but nothing happened, and soon the water was still again. He started his thinking process again. Ron was listening and heard Harry mumble something unintelligible. And then, to his surprise, the water began to divide down the middle. The water splashed, and flung into the air, into two evenly divided waves, and at the bottom, Hermione and Fred lye still.

"Accio broom!" Harry summoned his broom, and when is was in his hands he swooped down to retrieve Fred and Hermione. There was no sign of Katie Bell.

When he had them he laid them in the grass, and his spell on the lake, faded and it laid still again. By the time he got them both into the grass, and was trying to conjure a way to now save their lives, Professor Lupin had joined the scene. He said some type if incantation that made Hermione and Fred suddenly start gagging, and coughing up murky water.

"All of you. Report to Dumbledore's immediately. Except for Ms. Granger, and Fred Weasley, you need to attend to Madame Pomfrey. Follow me." Lupin, walked ahead as Fred and Hermione followed zombified right behind him.

"We're in a heap of trouble." Ron said as he and Lee Jordan and George made their way to Professor Dumbledore's office.

When they entered the office, Dumbledore was not yet present, but Professor McGonagall was. She has a mixture of sorrow, and anger spread across her face.

"I will say what I believe needs to be said before our beloved Headmaster returns. I just can't comprehend why you students can't grasp the fact that when you face troubles, such as you did today, that you should always, always get help from an administrator!" It would of been a shame to have any of your lives taken. I know you acted on impulse, and did I fine job, I must say, but things may have ended differently for Ms. Bell if you would of gotten attention from someone of higher qualifications."

No one said anything when she finished her lecture, and then Dumbledore returned.

"Sorry for my tardiness I was down at the lake, trying to see what I could do for Ms. Bell.

"Is she okay?" Harry asked.

"She's alive, if that's what you mean. Very damaged and ill, but breathing."

"Professor I swear, I tried to save her, but after I made that incantation, she wasn't anywhere in sight."

"I understand, none of this is your fault."

"Ronald I believe that you can explain things to us better than I can myself, begin."

"What do you mean, Professor?"

"When Ms. Bell began acting differently." A few minutes passed before Ron understood what he was being asked to explain.

"When Katie asked me to continue to sabotage Fred and Hermione, I couldn't do it. I mean, she did sort of demand that I do it, and she was acting odd, but I didn't think it would turn out this way."

"When I found Katie, I noticed lining on her hand which is a symptom of being cursed. Someone cursed her, and in doing so they targeted Ms. Granger. Now I cannot think of someone who would do something so unforgivably cruel, but it was done. Thankfully, I was able to break the spell."

"She was cursed?" Ron asked.

"Yes, it's a curse that causes someone to try to harm someone. Usually people will place a curse on someone who is angry or upset with the cursers intended target. Then the person under the curse, will get madder, and madder at the target, until the curse reaches it's maximum height, and the one under the spell devotes their life in hurting the target until that person is dead. When the curse reaches that full potential, there's nothing anyone can do. So eventually, the Ministry has to find, and kill these people". Dumbledore explained, his tone sorrowfully enlightening the room.

"That's awful." Harry said, looking at the floor. No one spoke for the longest time.

"Why don't you go see your friends in the hospital wing?" Dumbledore suggested.

They were all about to enter the wing, when they heard clear, but quiet whispers from the patient room.

"That was so brave, what you did, jumping in after me." Hermione's hushed voice said. They all walked until they could see Fred and Hermione, with out them seeing them. Hermione and Fred stood by Fred's bed, soaking wet. They all watched as Hermione suddenly grabbed both of his hands.

"It didn't do much for you." Fred said looking down at her, and their eyes were tightly locked on one another.

"It's the thought that counts. I believe that is the nicest thing that anyone has ever done for me." Hermione said. Before Fred could give her a negative response, Hermione got on her tip-toes, since Fred was so much taller than her. When their faces were level, she placed a soft kiss on his lips, and then laid herself back on her flat feet and wrapped her arms around his waist. Fred returned the hug, and stroked her wet dripping hair.

"And that was the nicest thing, that's ever happened to me." Fred said. A hushed giggle came from Hermione. Harry and Ron exchanged a smile with each other. George made a fake gagging noise, and Lee Jordan laughed.

"Here's some dry clothes you two." Madame Pomfrey said cradling a bundle of clothes in her arms. "And you two have visitors." She said. Hermione and Fred let go of their hug, turned their attention to their visitors.

Theeee end. :D


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